Forever and Always
by JennieRyan
Summary: Crutchie's proposal to Jennie doesn't end quite as he'd planned, but he finds himself just as happy.


**A/N: Here is the second story in my Crutchie and Jennie series, just a quick Oneshot. This takes place a little over 3 years after the first story in this series, so Crutchie and Jennie are both 19. Jack and Katherine are 21 and 22, respectively.**

 _May 1903_

"It's a beautiful ring, kid. Jennie's gonna love it."

"Thanks, Jack," Crutchie grinned, turning the ring over in his hands. It had a thin, plain silver band and was set with a small diamond, a simple ring indeed. Crutchie had wanted to buy Jennie something a little more extravagant, but this was the only ring he could afford on the small salary he made as a clerk at a shipping company down by the docks in Brooklyn.

"So, when're you gonna pop the question?" Jack asked.

"Saturday evening, after I finish work," Crutchie answered, his eyes lighting up in anticipation.

"Workin' on a Saturday? Crutch, ya gotta slow down. You'll wear yourself out."

Crutchie sighed. "I gotta put in the work if I want ta keep my position. They barely hired me in the first place, it was only that reference from Katherine's dad that did it. I still don't know how she managed that, by the way."

Jack shrugged. "Beats me. She's a miracle worker, my Ace. An' anyway, ya don't got nothin' to prove. You're just as capable as any other man there."

Crutchie flashed Jack a small smile. "Thanks, Jack. But more hours means more money an' more money means I can start savin' up ta get an apartment for me an' Jennie when we marry. Now, enough about us. The real question is when are you gonna work up the nerve ta propose to Katherine?"

Jack chuckled and lowered his head slightly in embarrassment. "I'll ask her soon, kid. Just gotta find the right moment."

Crutchie fixed Jack with a look. "You've been sayin' that for over a year, Cowboy. I ain't inclined to start believin' you now."

 _ **-Break-**_

As the end of the week approached Crutchie could hardly wait to propose to Jennie, his heart hammered in anticipation and excitement whenever he thought about it.

He could feel all of the late nights he had been having catching up with him, however. A persistent ache had settled in his throat and his sinuses, and he felt cold all the time. Still, he forced himself to power through, telling himself it was just a small cold and he'd be over it in no time.

 _ **-Break-**_

"You look awful, kid."

"Gee thanks, Jack," Crutchie retorted sarcastically, inwardly wincing as his ks came out sounding more like gs.

"Seriously, Crutchie. When was the last time ya got a decent nights sleep?"

"Last night," Crutchie declared indignantly, though in truth that was a lie. He had been up late working for three nights in a row.

"Yeah, sure ya did. Ya gotta slow down, Crutchie. You'll be no good ta Jennie if ya drop dead of exhaustion walking up the aisle."

"It's the bride who walks up the aisle, not the groom you idiot," Crutchie grumbled good-naturedly, swiping at his nose in an effort to stop it from dripping.

"That's not the point, and you know it," Jack retorted. "Take tomorrow off of work an' rest up."

"Tomorrow's when I'm meetin' Jennie!" Crutchie protested. "I ain't gonna skip out on her!"

"Just tell her you're sick an' pick a date to reschedule. She'll understand."

Crutchie opened his mouth to answer back, but he was interrupted by several powerful sneezes. When he was done Jack smirked. "Come on, kid. You know I'm right."

"Yeah, yeah. You don't gotta rub it in," Crutchie murmured. Then he sighed in exasperation. "All right. You win. I won't go ta work or ta see Jennie tomorrow."

Jack grinned. "Atta boy, Crutch! Now come on, I'll walk ya home."

 _ **-Break-**_

Crutchie kept only half of his promise to Jack in the end. He didn't go into work the next day, just as he said he wouldn't, but when 5 o'clock came it found a decidedly feverish Crutchie walking to meet Jennie with a ring in his pocket.

"Charlie!" Jennie waved when she saw Crutchie approaching her.

"Heya Jennie," Crutchie greeted as enthusiastically as he could manage. He leaned over and planted a soft kiss on her cheek.

"Shall we go to dinner?" Jennie asked, gently taking Crutchie's hand. He nodded.

"Yeah. Jacobi's?"

Jennie chuckled. "I had a feeling you'd say that."

 _ **-Break-**_

"Charlie, is everything alright?"

Crutchie looked up from his plate (which he had barely touched) to see Jennie looking at him with concern in her eyes. "Yeah. Everything's fine."

Jennie frowned. "You say that but… something's off."

"Nothin's wrong, I promise," Crutchie reiterated, even as the room began to tilt sideways.

"Alright…" Jennie was quiet for a moment, then suddenly her eyes grew wide. "Charlie!"

Crutchie looked back at Jennie, intending to ask her what on Earth was wrong, but suddenly he was on the floor and the world was growing dark around him.

 _ **-Break-**_

"He was looking off during dinner, but I didn't think it was that serious…"

"Stupid kid, he promised me he'd stay home…"

"I think he's waking up!"

Crutchie groaned as he came to, his head aching even more than it had earlier and his chest feeling as though it was on fire. His eyes fluttered open, and the first thing he saw was Jennie's worried face looming over him as he lay on what appeared to be a small couch. "Jennie?"

"Oh Charlie, I was so worried! Don't ever do that to me again."

"I'm sorry…" Crutchie trailed off as Jack's disapproving face came into his line of sight. "Uh… hey Jack."

"You passed out in Jacobi's an' Jennie brought ya to Katherine's place," Jack stated bluntly.

"Jennie brought me here?"

"I'm not an invalid, Charlie." Jennie's voice was soft but firm, and she absentmindedly took one of Crutchie's hands as she spoke.

"You'll be one if you aren't careful. What were you thinking, Crutchie?" Katherine asked from where she was standing behind Jack.

Crutchie glanced at Jennie, then looked away and shrugged. "I dunno."

Jack saw the look on Crutchie's face, and he turned to Katherine. "I think we'd better give 'em some space, Ace."

Katherine hesitated for a moment, torn between wanting to help and understanding that Crutchie and Jennie needed a moment together. Finally, she nodded. "Alright. Call if you need anything."

Jennie smiled thinly at Katherine. "Thank you both. I'm very grateful."

"Of course."

Katherine and Jack both exited the room, the door clicking shut behind them. As soon as they were out of earshot, Jennie turned back to Crutchie. "You'd better have a better explanation for why you came to our date with a fever of 102 degrees than 'I don't know'."

Crutchie sighed heavily, fumbling in his pocket and at last pulling out the ring. He held it out to Jennie and she gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. "Is that…?"

Crutchie smiled sleepily and nodded. "Yeah. I'd been plannin' this for months, an' I thought I would be okay… I'm sorry."

Jennie shook her head, still looking both shocked and touched. "I'm not angry Charlie. Far from it."

Crutchie grinned, then slowly sat up. Jennie immediately snapped out of her daze and placed a hand on his chest to stop him from getting up. "What are you doing?"

"Proposin' properly," Crutchie answered as if it was the most logical thing in the world.

"You're sick! You shouldn't be getting down on one knee," Jennie protested.

"But I want to," Crutchie retorted, his tone that of a petulant 5-year-old. Jennie studied his face for a minute, then burst out laughing. Crutchie frowned. "What's so funny?"

Jennie shook her head. "You are something else, Charlie Morris."

"Does that mean you'll marry me?"

Jennie grinned, leaning in close and planting a warm kiss on his lips. "Of course I'll marry you, you _leathcheann_."

 **A/N: Reviews are, as always, greatly appreciated and encouraged.**


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